Chapter 1
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Caroline's family is one of the countless unhappy families.
Her father betrayed her mother and slept with another woman.
Not only that, but her father also conspired with his mistress to torment her mother.
Unable to bear the humiliation, her mother chose to divorce her father. The mistress then smoothly took her place, becoming Caroline's stepmother.
The stepmother gave birth to another daughter for Caroline's father, named Roxanne Campbell.
Caroline's mother, devastated by the betrayal, fell ill and needed money for treatment.
However, Caroline's father refused to help and was unwilling to pay for her mother's medical expenses.
To get money for her mother's treatment, Caroline had no choice but to seek help from Roxanne.
But Roxanne was a spiteful woman who was extremely jealous of Caroline's beauty and had always wanted to find an opportunity to harm her, just as her own mother had harmed Caroline's mother.
This time, Roxanne finally got her chance to torment Caroline and naturally wouldn't let it slip by.
Roxanne agreed to help Caroline, but on one condition: Caroline had to engage in a filthy transaction with her.
The terms of this filthy transaction were that Caroline had to give up her virginity and sleep with an old and ugly man.
As long as Caroline did this, Roxanne would be willing to pay for Caroline's mother's treatment.
Caroline was initially very conflicted.
She was still a virgin; how could she give her virginity to a complete stranger?
But Caroline had no choice.
If she didn't do it, she wouldn't have the money for her mother's treatment, and her mother would die.
Her mother was the person who loved her the most in this world, and Caroline couldn't just stand by and watch her mother die from illness!
To save her mother's life, Caroline had no choice but to agree to this filthy transaction.
Seeing Caroline agree to the deal, Roxanne's face twisted into an evil smile: "That's right, only by obediently listening to me can your mother survive!"
Two hours later, at Luxe Harbor Resort, Caroline was shoved into a pitch-black room by Roxanne.
In the darkness, a beast-like man, supposedly Colin Frank, lunged at her.
Due to the darkness, Caroline couldn't see what the man looked like. She only knew that he was like a ravenous wolf, frantically kissing her body and tearing off her clothes...
Caroline endured the pain, just hoping it would end soon. But it felt like an endless abyss, constantly pulling her in and dragging her down...
In the next room, Roxanne leisurely scrolled through her phone.
'Colin, being over fifty, still has such vigor.' Roxanne felt a surge of satisfaction at the thought of the pure and sweet Caroline having sex with him.
Plus, Colin was the chief director of the major series "Thunder," and he had made it clear that if Roxanne slept with him, the lead role would be hers. But Roxanne didn't want to deal with greasy and disgusting Colin. Having Caroline take her place was the best option.
As dawn approached, Caroline finally managed to escape and stumbled into the next room. Caroline's eyes were bloodshot, and she stood there, her body still trembling uncontrollably. "Give me the money."
Roxanne gave Caroline a once-over, sneered, and tossed her a card. "You better keep this under wraps, or don't blame me for being nasty."
Saying this, Roxanne left the room and entered the next one, lying down on the bed. She prepared herself and then nudged the man beside her. "I'm already yours, so you better keep your promise."
In the dim light, Nathan Kennedy sat up. "I'll take responsibility for you. Thanks for saving me."
Nathan's voice was deep and magnetic. Roxanne instantly realized he wasn't Colin. She reached out and turned on the bedside lamp with a snap. Nathan had a great physique and a handsome face. Looking closely, Roxanne almost screamed. Nathan was the third son of the Kennedy family, the biggest family in Aurora City. He held a lot of power and influence there.
Roxanne slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to look all innocent. "This is my first time, you know. You gotta take responsibility for me."
Nathan's eyebrows did a little dance, then he handed her a business card. "Sure thing, you can have whatever you want."
With that, he strutted out of there.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Roxanne jumped up and kissed that gold business card like it was a winning lottery ticket. "This is awesome!"
Caroline made a beeline for the nearest ATM. Seeing the balance at $150,000, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
Clutching the card, she flagged down a cab and sped to the hospital. But when she got to Daisy's room, the bed was empty.
Caroline grabbed a nurse. "Hey, where's the patient from bed 203?"
The nurse looked up and frowned. "You're her daughter, right? Where were you last night? We tried to reach you. She passed away, and you weren't even here."
Caroline's mind went blank. "What do you mean?"
The nurse looked annoyed, dodging Caroline's desperate grip. "She passed away at 2:15 AM, despite our efforts."
"My mom was fine yesterday. You're lying! You have to be lying," Caroline muttered, eyes vacant. "Impossible."
Suddenly, Caroline remembered something and started tearing through her bag, scattering stuff everywhere until she found the bank card. "My mom owed medical bills, so you hid her, right? I have money now. I'll pay! Please, save her."
The nurse looked at the broken Caroline and sighed. "You need to go to the morgue to claim the body."
In a daze, Caroline handled Daisy's funeral and went back to school. She barely talked to anyone, just stared at her phone, looking at Daisy's photos over and over.